This study was conducted to determine extension agent’s perception of constraint to fertilizer use by farmers in Cross River State. A total of 31 respondent participated in the study. Structured questionnaires were used to obtained information from the respondent which happens to be extension agents. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as percentage mean and frequency distributions revealed that some of the constraints to fertilizer use covering the extension agents are high cost of product, untimely delivery of the fertilizer, insufficient supply, scarcity of the fertilizer when it is needed by the farmers.
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IMPACT OF NEW RURAL GOAT MARKETING STRUCTURES THROUGH AUCTION SALES PENS TO THE LIVELIHOOD OF SMALL-HOLDER PRODUCERS UNDER THE ON-GOING, ADVOCACY FOR SMALL LIVESTOCK VALUE ADDITION: A PANACEA FOR RURAL POVERTY ERADICATION IN ZIMBABWE

Matobo district in Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe has the highest number of small ruminant populations. Small-holder goat producers in this predominantly rural district have for long been selling their livestock using informal systems. Farm-gate sales have been more popular but the returns were not satisfactory. Several initiatives have been introduced to improve on sales and profits but the impact has not been pleasing. This study, therefore, assessed the impact of new rural goat marketing structures through sales pens to the livelihood of small-holder producers and in the on-going small livestock value chains. The study focused on the small ruminant value chain projects being undertaken by a local Non-Governmental Organisation operating in Matobo District of Matabeleland South Province. The study specifically targeted two wards, where sales pens had been constructed. …

This study sought to identify and analyze the determinants of postharvest losses within the tomato value chain, key players, their roles in the pre-harvest, harvest and postharvest handling of tomato at farmer level unit operations across 46 districts in the Forest, Guinea Savannah and Transition Agro-ecological zones in Ghana involving the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Brong Ahafo and Upper East regions, as well as assess and quantify losses along the tomato postharvest value chain. Parameters evaluated included socio-demographic information of respondents, varieties grown, reasons for growing such varieties, years grown, postharvest practices, loss assessment quantification, reasons for losses, gender in relation to production among others. …

Water scarcity during the yala season of dry zone is one of the major constraints for rice (Oryza sativa) production in Sri Lanka. The traditional practice of maintaining standing water requires a high water input. The objective of this study was to evaluate alternative water-saving irrigation regimes developed for rice cultivation in the yala season on Non-Calcic Brown soils in the Ampara district with a view of reducing total water input while ensuring minimum or zero yield reductions. The study was conducted in a rain sheltered plant house. …

Xanthomonas campestris is known as xanthan gum biopolymer producing bacteria, which is useful as thickener, stabilizer, and suspending agent in the food industry. The mechanism of the synthesis of xanthan gum is thought to involve enzymatic metabolism is quite complex, so that research on that existence of enzymes that play a role in the synthesis of biopolymer is important to expose. This study, aimed to test the ability of X. campestris culture that has transglycosylation activity as a producer of cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) on acceptor of resorcinol and corn flour as its s . …

An experiment was conducted on the determination of effective spatial arrangement for intercropping of maize and potato using competition indices at South Wollo, Ethiopia for two consecutive years, 2010-2011. The objective of the study was to determine effective spatial arrangement for intercropping of maize and potato. The treatments were 1 maize:1 potato, 2 maize:2 potato, 1 maize:2 potato (a), 2 maize:1 potato (a), 1 maize:2 potato (b) and 2 maize:1 potato (b). Sole maize and sole potato was used for comparison. JMP 5 (SAS) software’s were used to compute the analysis of variance …

The research is done in two sections, the preliminary research in July 2012. The Data Collected in December 2013 to Mei 2014. This research was done to identify the empowerment activities and to see the change happened in livelihood and mindset among of fish farmer by comparing the data in 2012 and 2013. The method used on the research is survey. …

Modified cassava starch (MCS) is a product derived from cassava chips that uses a principle of modifying cassava chips in fermentation, which produces distinctive characteristics, so it can be used as a food ingredient with a very wide scale. Preliminary experimental results showed that MCS could be used as raw materials from a variety of foods, ranging from noodles, bakery, cookies and semi-moist food, since the application has a spectrum similar to wheat flour, rice and other starchy materials. . …

Field experiment was conducted during 2012 rainy season at Yobe State College of Agriculture Gujba, to evaluate the effect of different sources and levels of organic manure on the growth and yield of okra (Abelmoschus esculantus (L) Moench). The treatments consisted of two varieties of okra, two sources of organic manure with four levels of each, replicated three times and laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). The result showed that variety and source did not significantly affect the growth of okra. However, the interaction revealed that there was significant (p<0.05) difference in the number of leaves produced at 6WAS …

Birds and reptiles are similar in that they both lay eggs with shells. The internal structure of both bird and reptile eggs is also quite similar. Many factors influence the eggshell quality and this also includes the mineral composition. The main objective of this study was to compare the mineral composition of commercial hen egg shells to that of fresh water crocodile egg shells. …

Especially, in dry and Semi-arid areas of the world are suffering from lack of water due to ignorance of finding new opportunities to overcome water scarcity. Similarly, Walawe river basin (WRB) which lies in dry and semi-arid zone of Sri Lanka has a higher demand for water in Agricultural, Industrial and Domestic uses. More than 600 small scale tanks which have been constructed in the history are in the abandoned state, but, majority of them has a potential for rehabilitation. …

Phytopathogenic bacterial Xanthomonas campestris causes rot disease in cruciferous plants, such as peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, and cabbage. On agar medium, this bacterial culture is able to produce extracellular biopolymer that can be utilized as an ingredient in food preparation that is known as xanthan gum. This polysaccharide can be applied in commercial industry as thickening agents, viscosifier, stabilizer, emulsifier and suspension agent. This study aims to determine ability of X. campestris culture in synthesizing such kind of a simple polysaccharide as a transfer product of transglycosylation reaction using extracelluler enzyme of this . …

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Soybeans have been used in human and animal nutrition because of their favorable agronomic characteristics, relatively low price, high quality and quantity of protein and oil as well as their important functional properties for the development of different types of foods for humans. However, Raw Soybean Seed Meal (RSSM) contain high levels of anti-nutritional factors (ANFs), such as protease trypsin inhibitors, lipase inhibitors, goitrogens, and hemagglutins, which must be deactivated by proper heat treatment prior to inclusion in animal and human diets. The main objective of this study was to determine the nutritional and anti-trypsin content of raw soybean seeds in comparison to the solvent extracted and steam cooked soybeans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The proximate composition, minerals and anti-trypsin content of raw soybean seeds and differently processed soybean seeds were determined using standard methods. One way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used in analysing the data. …

Water is essential for sustaining all forms of life, food production, economic development, and for general well being. India occupies only 3.29 million km2 geographical area, which forms 2.4 % of the world’s land area, supports about 1/6th of world population, 1/50th of world’s land and 1/25th of world’s water resources. Per capita surface water availability during the years 1991 and 2001 were 2309 and 1902 m3 and these were projected to reduce to 1401 and 1191 m3 by the years 2025 and 2050, respectively. There is a need for proper planning, development and management of the greatest assets of the country, viz. water and land resources for enhancing the agricultural production, improving the standards of living of the millions of people, particularly in the rural areas. Groundwater accounts for about 80 % of domestic water requirement and more than 60 % of the total irrigation in the country. …

Keywords

Water resources, Agricultural production, Population growth, Ground water

The study assessed adopted schools scheme under Lake Chad research institute on the dissemination of improved agricultural technologies in Borno State, Nigeria. Primary data were mainly used for the study. Structured interview schedules were administered to all the 60 beneficiaries in the adopted secondary schools (Sanda Kyarimi and Government College, Maiduguri) in Borno State. Data were analysed by the use of frequencies, percentages and mean scores. The results showed that the level of awareness of improved agricultural technologies was high. . …

The arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) are O-glycosylated proteins consisting of less than 10 % proteins involved in many aspects of plant growth and development. Our work focuses on the development of a sensitive and easy method for monitoring partially purified AGP. Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectrophotometry was used to select excitation-emission wavelengths of arabic gum and plant β-glucosyl Yariv AGP for the SEC fluorescence system. Commercial as plant AGP were then separated by high performance size exclusion chromatography (SEC) on two columns in series (Agilent bio SEC 100 Å and 300 Å) coupled with 215 nm UV and 221/350 nm Ex/Em fluorescence detection. …

Cocoa is one of the leading commodity plantation sector. Not only has the potential to increase the country’s foreign exchange income but also a major source of income for cocoa farmers in many centers of cocoa producer, but the quality of cocoa beans produced have not been uniform and not in accordance with international standard, resulting in low international price of cocoa market. One of the opportunities to improve the quality of cocoa is through development on fermentation and preservation technology of cocoa beans, using cultures of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from palm sap-based fermented products. Some LAB strains those had been isolated from palm sap fermented liquid, identified as Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroide. …

Poverty alleviation is one of the most difficult challenges facing any country in the developing world, where, on the average, majority of the population is considered poor. Evidences in Nigeria shows that the number of those in poverty has continued to increase and Borno state was acknowledged to be at the forefront. Governments and institutions have the capacity to enhance both the viability and the attractiveness of options by providing programme and incentives, leading to the promotion of peace and development and reduction in poverty. This paper, therefore, attempted to identify sustainable poverty alleviation strategies for harnessing the economic potentials of Borno state, …

Twenty sultana type raisin samples obtained from seedless grapes grown in three different altitudes in Denizli province in Aegean region of Turkey were analyzed for some important quality parameters for the sultanas such as pH, titratable acidity (TA), color quality as L*, a*, b*, a/b*, Chroma (C), hue angle (H°) and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content. The effects of altitude of the vineyards on quality parameters of sultanas were also investigated. pH of the samples ranged from 3.31 to 4.21 and TA values ranged from 0.65 to 1.75 g 100 g-1 as tartaric acid, …

Limited success has been achieved in the large scale production of postharvest biocontrol agents. High production cost and low productivity are the key factors that hindered progress. Thus to be a practical alternative to fungicides, the production of the biocontrol agent M. andauensis PBC-2 must be optimized. M. andauensis was grown in four different media commonly described in yeast production. The highest viable cell was observed in YPD medium. The effect of pH, temperature and yeast extract and peptone concentrations was tested in 250-ml flasks. . …

Mistletoe are Hemi-parasite (semi-parasite) plants, angiosperms(Jamal R. Qasem 2009)),(floriated),tow fold-housing (diecious), the feminine plants give flowers and Fruit (results ) have one seed whereas the masculine plants give unapparent flowers, small, and give the pollen ,these plants are enable partially to create carbons sources, because of they are autotrophic, but unable to get water and the mineral , elements and the mechanic help . So they are going on Hemi-parasite behavior against the other plants …

The study is an attempt to determine the impact of adult education on the agricultural productivity of small scale female maize farmers in Potiskum Local Government Area of Yobe State, Nigeria. The objectives of the study includes; describe the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, to compare the output and income of female maize farmers participating in adult education programme and non-participants in the study area. The study was conducted using structured questionnaires administered on 60 female maize participants and 60 non-participants randomly selected. …

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of different species of earthworm viz., P. excavatus, E. eugeniae and E. fetida on vermicomposting. In this study, growth performance of worms and physico-chemical characteristics of vermicompost were examined with time span of vermicomposting. The worm P. excavatus showed better growth performance during the process of composting. . …

The use of some plant oils, Palm kernel, Coconut and Eucalyptus, was evaluated against rice weevils Sitophilus oryzae in a local variety of rice “Ofada”. The trial involved exposing adult rice weevils Sitophilus oryzae to various levels of concentration of oils. All studies were taken under normal laboratory temperature of 270C. The oils were incorporated into the petri dishes containing fifty (50) whole grains of rice and ten (10) pairs of insect pests (five males and five females) at different levels of concentrations. …

Net blotch caused by Pyrenophora teres is one of the most destructive foliar diseases of barley (Hordeum vulgare) in the world, Kenya included. Frequent evolution of net blotch pathotypes, continuous overcoming of resistance and changes in environmental factors require screening of advanced barley genotypes to identify more sources of resistance. Sixteen advanced barley genotypes, two susceptible, and two resistant checks were screened to evaluate their reaction to net blotch at high altitude (Mau-Narok) and medium altitude (University of Eldoret) zones. Disease assessment was done on a 0-9 severity scale. . …

In most parts of Bangladesh paddy fields remain water logged during rainy season and unused where community based fisheries management could be an option to improve socio-economic condition. Present study was conducted to evaluate the culture stocking strategy and cost benefit analysis for good community based fisheries management in waterlogged area of Begumganj upazila, Noakhali District, Bangladesh. Required data were collected through focus group discussion and semi-structured interview from target group. Six selected dogis namely Vobanijibonpur, Kendurbag, Madhob Shing, Khyajpur, Chowmohona and Jirtali were observed in this study where stocking and other management were maintained from the very beginning of the culture season. Water quality parameters were closely monitored during the six months of the study period. . …

Poverty reduction over the years has been of great concern and challenge barely to every nation, especially countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Nigeria in particular where economic and social indicators continue to deteriorate. Agricultural sector which remains critical to the development of the economy has continued to fail in its roles to the development of the economy. This paper examines the potential contributions of agriculture in poverty reduction in Nigeria such as raising the general level of welfare of the rural population, ensuring that the needs of the expanding urban labour force are met, transferring of surplus capital to industrial sector, helping the foreign exchange situation of the country as well as generating a growing demand for consumers and producers goods.. . …

Investigations were carried out on the nutritional composition and some mineral contents of Adansonia digitata seeds for domestic consumption and industrial utilization. The fats and protein contents were determined by extraction and micro Kjeldahl method respectively while Sodium, Potassium and Calcium were determined using flame photometer. . . …

In this research work, some physcio-chemical properties of African Star Apple (Chrysophyllum albidun) grown mostly in low land tropical rain forest of Southern Nigeria and also in compounds and outlaying farms in most villages, in parts of South-Western Nigeria. The chemical properties were total soluble solids, 23%; pH 3.40; total solids . …

This research was carried out as a preliminary study to determine the effects of soil substrate characteristics on aquatic plant distribution in a selected stream. Aquatic plant distribution and diversity was estimated using the quadrate method along the six sampling sites of Nannikithaela in Kanneliya forest reserve. Water quality parameters (Water discharge, pH, Conductivity, Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and Total Suspended Solids) …

The quality attributes and consumer acceptability of juice blends made from African Star Apple (Chrysophyllum albidum) and papaya (Carica papaya) were investigated using a panel of about twenty eight (28) people. The chemical and sensory properties of the juices were determined. The fresh juice made from African Star Apple fruits had 230B (soluble solids) and pH 3.40 while that made from papaya fruits had 11.50B (soluble solids) and pH of 4.50.. …

The objective was to evaluate the use of sugar cane tops as fodder in sheep finishing diets during the dry season in the tropics. The experiment was conducted at the Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Valles, S.L.P., Mexico. Thirty six male sheep with average weight of 20 kg were used. The sheep were given one out of three whole diets prepared with, commercial with sorghum byproducts (CBS), . …